Construction sites in Yorkshire are being safety-checked by the HSE this month as part of an inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health when working at height.

The targeted inspections are in response to the continued loss of life and serious injury arising from falls from height. In the year 2011/12, 49 workers lost their lives on construction sites in the UK, with falls from height being a major cause.

During September, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be visiting sites across the region. The inspections teams will start in Bradford before moving to other locations in West, North and East Yorkshire.

The initiative will primarily focus on those working on the external parts of buildings, but will target all types of work carried out at height

The key purpose is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable and potentially cost workers their lives.

David Stewart, HSE’s Principal Inspector for Construction in the Yorkshire region , said:

“Falling from height causes a significant number of deaths and major injuries. All too often straightforward practical precautions are not considered and workers are put needlessly at risk. In many cases, simple changes to working practices can make all the difference.

“Poor management of risk in this industry is unacceptable. As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk.”

In recent months HSE has prosecuted several construction companies following incidents in which workers were injured, including:

• A North Yorkshire farm building manufacturer and a self employed contractor were each fined a total of £4,500 with costs of £1,150 after a worker suffered a smashed left heel and broken right ankle after falling four and a half metres while working on the construction of a new farm building.
• A self-employed handyman died following a fall from the roof of a house in Bradford whilst undertaking minor roof repairs in March 2011. He had been using an unsecured extension ladder and a roof ladder to undertake this work.
• A firm from Halifax was fined £13,500 when an employee installing a flue liner down a chimney fell seven metres from the roof due to provision of an inadequate work platform with no edge protection.
• A roofing contractor from Ilkley was fined £23,500 after their employee fell through a fragile skylight on the roof of a garage where repairs were being carried out. Adequate measures had not been taken to prevent falls though the fragile material. The worker suffered severe head injuries.

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